As soon as the tree-man materialized, it regained some mobility. Its limbs flailed wildly, and a strange tremor surged through its body, forcibly snapping some of the black threads within its wooden form. Then, with a great stride, rolling mist rose beneath its feet, lifting it into the air.
With a sharp *shhh* sound, the seemingly sluggish skeletal remains of the Sky Witch suddenly moved its arms, its fingers darting upward at an almost imperceptible speed. Countless blood-red threads wove into a net, slicing downward.
The tree-man, which had just taken flight, froze mid-air before exploding into countless fragments.
Amid the explosion, a swirl of green mist coalesced into a faint green shadow that shot forward. In a flash, it appeared high in the air over twenty zhang away, and with another flicker, it was about to catch up with the two small figures ahead.
At that moment, the massive skeleton’s eyes flashed with green flames, and its gaping maw suddenly opened, spewing forth a dazzling crimson mist.
The green shadow felt the space around it tighten abruptly, and an unimaginable force yanked it backward. It barely had time to let out a scream before the crimson mist engulfed it, dragging it down. With another flicker, it was sucked helplessly into the skeleton’s gaping mouth, which then began chewing voraciously.
A streak of light flashed!
The Nascent Souls of Elder Wu and Elder Yu seized the opportunity to escape the iron cage. However, as they glanced back, they witnessed the final elder’s demise.
Both were simultaneously shocked and enraged.
Elder Yu roared, his Nascent Soul rubbing its hands together as a black flame ignited behind him. With a gust of wind, it transformed into the shadow of a massive black scorpion.
The Nascent Soul formed another hand seal, preparing to command the scorpion to charge back into the iron cage.
But with a *bang*, Elder Wu’s Nascent Soul grabbed its arm:
“Such an attack is utterly futile. Without our physical bodies and with our vitality already depleted, we stand no chance against this Blood Fiend Corpse. We must flee before it fully regains its freedom, or all three of us may perish here.”
No sooner had he spoken than the iron cage below trembled violently. The massive skeleton shifted one of its legs, its enormous body trembling as it rose halfway, its green-flame eyes staring blankly at the Nascent Souls outside the cage.
By now, most of the black threads within the skeleton had been devoured, with only a few remaining clustered around its other leg, barely resisting the encroaching blood threads.
When the two Nascent Souls met the skeleton’s gaze, an involuntary chill ran through them.
“Fine! We’ll follow your lead, Brother Wu. Let’s go!” Elder Yu gritted his teeth, dispersing the scorpion shadow behind him, though his voice was thick with reluctance.
“Good. As long as we live, vengeance will come. What matters now is survival,” Elder Wu exhaled in relief.
“ROAR!”
The skeleton in the cage shook its massive head, emitting a bone-chilling howl. As its other leg shifted, it slowly began to stand upright.
“Go!”
This time, the two Nascent Souls dared not linger. Their escape lights flared, transforming into streaks of azure and white as they shot into the distance.
In just a dozen flashes, they reached the edge of the blood lake. One more push, and they would be free.
But at the critical moment, a thunderous rumble erupted ahead. Without warning, a crimson mist surged forth, rolling toward them.
The two elders halted abruptly, their Nascent Souls reappearing as they exchanged glances. One formed a hand seal, summoning the black scorpion shadow once more, while the other spat out a small azure bell and a bone-white shield.
The crimson mist seemed distant at first, but in a blur, it was upon them. The blood light dissipated, revealing five identical young men standing side by side.
“The Blood Union Quintuplets!”
Elder Wu gasped, recognizing them instantly.
“Why are you five here? Were you tailing us, waiting to reap the spoils?” Elder Yu’s Nascent Soul glowered, his voice dripping with menace.
The five youths stood motionless, their expressions blank, as if deaf to the words.
The two elders exchanged puzzled glances.
Elder Yu scrutinized them and noticed something amiss—their eyes now gleamed with an eerie crimson light, their once-lustrous skin had withered slightly, and a faint stench of decay clung to them.
A realization struck him, and his face darkened.
Elder Wu, too, sensed the strangeness. Sharing a look with Elder Yu, the two Nascent Souls slowly retreated, putting distance between themselves and the quintuplets.
“Where do you think you’re going? Since you’ve lost your bodies, why not surrender your Nascent Souls? Let me devour them and grow stronger,” a sinister voice echoed from the void.
Blood light flashed, and a hazy crimson figure materialized above the quintuplets.
“You dare think us easy prey just because we’re reduced to Nascent Souls?” Elder Yu snarled.
“Alone, perhaps I’d struggle. But with these five blood puppets, capturing you will be effortless.”
The blood shadow chuckled darkly, forming a hand seal. The surrounding space rumbled as countless blood clouds materialized, trapping the two Nascent Souls, the shadow, and the quintuplets together.
With a triumphant laugh, the shadow lunged, transforming into a crimson streak.
The quintuplets moved as one, unleashing dozens of sword beams that surged toward the elders.
Though the two fought back with their remaining power, they were quickly overwhelmed. Despair flickered in their eyes—without their bodies, their resistance was futile.
As predicted, within the time it took to finish a meal, the blood shadow stood victorious, examining its newly acquired treasures with satisfaction. The crimson aura around it had thickened noticeably.
From the center of the blood lake came another monstrous roar.
“The Blood Fiend Corpse! Heh, I came for the legacy of the Heavenly Cauldron True Monarch, but instead, I found a Blood Fiend Corpse—one transformed from the remains of a mighty Mahayana cultivator. Once refined, it will be invaluable against tribulations or enemies.”
The blood shadow grinned, glancing toward the source of the roar. With a flick of its sleeve, it summoned a bloody glow, enveloping itself and the quintuplets before streaking toward the lake’s heart.
Meanwhile, the skeleton—now fully transformed into the Blood Fiend Corpse—had devoured all the black threads within it. It stood tall within the iron cage, its eyes locking onto the approaching crimson mist. With a roar, it charged forward.
Soon, thunderous clashes and explosions filled the air above the blood lake.
—
“Finally repaired. It should endure two or three more teleportations.” Han Li gazed at the refurbished small formation, a faint smile on his lips.
After half a day’s work, he had not only restored it with his own materials but also made minor adjustments—without affecting its function.
Testing it with a hand seal, he watched as the formation hummed to life. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
A swirl of white light engulfed him, and he vanished.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood in a pitch-black space.
“Where is this…?”
His eyes gleamed blue as his spiritual sight activated, revealing his surroundings.
He stood atop a small hillock, surrounded by towering pines, his feet planted on another teleportation formation. Beyond, mountains stretched endlessly, draped in emerald forests—as if he were deep within a mountain range.
After a moment, he chuckled. With a flick of his sleeve, an azure flying sword shot out, swelling into a hundred-zhang-long blade that circled overhead, radiating blinding light.
“Slash!”
Han Li uttered softly.
The blade let out a clear cry before blurring and unleashing sword beams over a thousand zhang long in all directions.
Where the azure light passed, the darkness split apart, illuminating everything. The distant mountain scenery twisted violently, transforming into pristine white walls dozens of zhang high, sealing off the hill and nearby trees completely.
He was inside a colossal courtyard.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying the distant walls. A peculiar expression crossed his face before he turned toward a large tree on the hill.
“Fellow Daoist, you’ve hidden long enough. Will you show yourself, or must I invite you out personally?”
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